Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Welcome . Home . Chanel

We stopped in Cleveland for a day (we're on our way out to New York for a pinch), and since we were here anyway, and there is a Saks Fifth in town, and the price is going up again soon, and they did have it stock, well...





My Chanel Jumbo Caviar in Black with Silver Hardware might have come to live with me!!

But as I said earlier, this means sticking with the cutting back, and selling the stuff I have that I don't really use or need. Though so far I haven't missed anything, and since I have my dream bag, and hardly imagine that I will!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Heavy . Handed







Even though it's sometimes a little awkward to wear, I'll never get over how cool it looks to wear piles of jewelry. I especially like the look with a gauzy hippie dress or perfectly worn in tee.

Pics: Souvenirs, Fashion Lane, me

Loft . Space







I think that I could do fairly well as an interior designer, with the exception of one thing: I don't understand how people make piles/mounds/heaps/stacks of stuff in a space, and have it look so polished. When I pile things in my house, it just looks messy. Perhaps it's a class offered up in art school: "How to Make Pretty Stacks 101."

Pics: Micasa

Monday, June 28, 2010

In . Love








These are possibly the most romantic photos ever. Beautiful.

Pics: ObsessionMIA

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Cherry . Red







A lot of bright color in one room can be pretty, but perhaps a bit much for most people's everyday homes. Having just one or two items that have a bright color is a great way to create an interest spot, and add some personality to a space. Most items will also look completely transformed and perfect with a coat of glossy spray paint as well!

Pics: Desire to Inspire, CoreOpsisLibra, Landon Collis

Friday, June 25, 2010

Vampire . or . Werewolf?




It's hard to escape vampires and werewolves these days, what with them popping up on television (True Blood) and in movies (Twilight, etc. etc.). So what side of the debate are you on? Me, I'm firmly a vampire girl... though those half-naked werewolf men running around True Blood... tempting.

Pics: Karen Walker and Coute Que Cote

South . of . the . Border






I love this editorial! It doesn't take itself too seriously, and the clothes are quite wonderful! That bright purple bag is my favorite, though knowing myself, I could have that suede dirty and that fringe caught on something in two seconds flat.

Pics: No Magazine via Fashionising

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Oh . Money... You . Silly . Thing

Money is sort of like a dirty word, and for me almost always evokes negatives. There are loads of people who don't have near what I have, and I can usually only focus on what I want instead of what I've already got. This may be because we live in a world where it's so easy to see what others have: vacations, nice houses, expensive televisions, designer clothes, fancy cars, etc.

So I'm always thinking, "Why can't I have a vacation to Bora Bora when all of these other people can?" Or, "Why can't I afford to spend more on a house, when all of these other people are doing it?"

And yet, I have so much. We own a house, have two cars, we both have jobs, I have a nice collection of bags, a full closet, we go out to eat... but I must be a glass half empty girl, but it's never satisfying enough.

So I've decided to really, truly, honestly, absolutely, give a go at something: having fewer things that you appreciate more is better.

For a couple of years now, I've wanted a Chanel jumbo flap:







But it's a really expensive bag, and so I haven't bought it. Well, I've been trying to save for it, but THEY KEEP INCREASING THE PRICE!! (a tiny little curse at you Chanel!). So it's getting to the point where it's now or never. And quite frankly, one bag that I really love is a lot better than a dozen bags that are nice, but not perfect. BUT, here's what this means: (and this first one hurts a bit) I have to sell some bags that I don't really need/use. And absolutely no more spending just to spend. And I'm going to make sure we spend more wisely.

1. Food: Yesterday I looked at our finances, and on average (between the grocery store and take-out), we spend $600/month on food for two people. That's just over $7,000/year. And then I looked in the refrigerator and cleaned out about $80.00 worth of food that had gone to waste. After taking stock of what we had, I realized we could make meals for the next five days, with only having to spend $17.00 at the grocery store to supplement what's already in our house. If we cut back to $300/month, we'll save tons and not waste so much.

Savings = $3,500.00/year

2. Random Shopping: When I feel bad, I shop, and then I feel better. Because of this I have a closet of stuff I wear a couple of times and then never look at again. A good rule: if you wouldn't pay full price for it, don't buy it just because it's on sale. I spend maybe $200/month on stuff like this. And I don't need any of it. This isn't to say that I'll never buy new things, but if I just cut back to what I really need and what will last? A huge step forward.

Savings = $1,200.00/year

3. Starbucks: Yes, Starbucks gets its own category. I pop in 2-3 times/week, when I could make coffee at home for a hell of a lot less, and also not get all tweeky from the espresso. A coffee from Starbucks once or twice a month is more than enough.

Savings = $575.00/year

So just by cutting back on those three things, we can put away just over $5,000.00 more every year.

Hello larger nest egg and occasional vacation!

So I'm going to cut back, take stock, clean out, and move forward. Wish me luck!!

Blog . Crush { Selective . Memory }








Brooke and Alice of Selective Memory recently sent me the sweetest of notes to let me know that they'd featured a bag that Brooke had bought from Pretty Little World, and I've been mooning over their blog ever since!

Selective Memory is filled with style posts from both sisters, as well writing about upcoming fashion trends, and pics of Alice's cute-as-a-button dog. Love.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010










I've been cursed with horrible allergies all day long, so I thought I might end on a pretty note!

Pics: fffound, souvenirs, Prism & the Pendulum, Obsession MIA, Hello Mr. Fox